A Speck on the Sea : Epic Voyages in the Most Improbable Vessels

Throughout history, the bold, the desperate, and the foolhardy have dared the wide oceans in the tiniest of boats The unique and wonderful A Speck on the Sea looks back half a millennium to chronicle the greatest ocean voyages attempted in the littlest boats--rowboats, canoes, tiny sailboats, even a pair of wooden floats strapped to one adventurer's feet. Driven by desperation, a spirit of adventure, or irrepressible exuberance, these amazing feats include: Diego Mendez's voyage to rescue Columbus William Okeley's 1639 escape from slavery in a folding rowboat Hugo Vihlen's 1968 ocean crossing in the six-foot sailboat April Fool Ernest Shackleton and William Bligh's death-cheating journeys The tragic story of Peter Bird's attempt to row across the Pacific And many more Never have sailors dared the sea in frailer boats. This fascinating history will appeal to sailors and landlubbers alike.